Guitar suspension strap with belt adapter



Ju 1962 s. CUNNINGHAM GUITAR SUSPENSION STRAP WITH BELT ADAPTER Filed Sept. 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Betty L. Cunningham INVENTOR.

B. 1.. CUNNINGHAM 3,037,416

GUITAR SUSPENSION STRAP WITH BELT ADAPTER June 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11, 1959 Bah) L. Cunningham INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,037,416 GUITAR SUSPENSION STRAP WITH BELT ADAPTER Betty L. Cunningham, 549 Wagon Wheel Drive, Corpus Christi, Tex. Filed Sept. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 839,478 1 Claim. (Cl. 84327) This invention relates to an improved attachment-type accessory expressly designed and adapted to effectually support and aptly suspend a guitar, or a similar stringed musical instrument, in an easy-to-handle normal playing position, with or without a shoulder-type sling, and pertains, more particularly, to simple eflicient strap means having attaching and retaining means therefor.

The strap which is employed has been perfected for use on a electric Spanish guitar having, as is usual, a solid or non-acoustic type body. The construction is such that the inner or rearward end of the strap is releasably and detchably connected to a performers waist encircling belt and the forward end is separably and appropriately connected to the front of a median portion of the guitar body.

Briefly summarized, the preferred concept comprises a body or waist encircling belt, a conventional-type belt, for example, a flexible suspension strap for the instrument whereby the latter may be properly poised and adequately suspended from the belt in a balanced state, said strap being of prerequisite length to extend from the instrument and toward the body of the performer, means carried by the forward end of the strap for operative connection with a predetermined portion of the instrument, and additional means carried by the rearward portion of said strap and connected with said belt.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the supporting and suspension strap is adjustable lengthwise. This is accomplished in one embodiment of the invention by using a single strap and employing appropriately constructed and arranged snap-fasteners. The other form of the invention employs two components including a simple buckle whereby the components are adjustably joined to each other. The belt attaching means or adapter comprises, specifically described, a bent wire clip having a J-shaped shank hinged to an end of the adjacent part of the strap and having a lateral V-shaped hook which is removably and adjustably fitted on the belt. The means at the forward end of the over-all strap may vary but is constructed preferably as shown and is characterized by a link attached to a forward end of the strap and pivoted C-shaped jaws with finger-grips, said jaws being releasably connectible with a forward portion of the front of the solid guitar body. Where the pick-guard does not provide a suitable place for connection a screw eye is utilized and constitutes a suitable anchor.

The invention is such in construction that it vastly improves the usability of an electric Spanish guitar, does not interfere with the often necessary shiftable handling in playing full diflicult chords. The utmost simplicity of the strap means affords the user greater comfort in that peculiar body designs, now in vogue, may be held in such a manner that playing is more effortless. Experience has shown that the guitarist will soon learn to appreciate the feeling that the solid body is less likely to shift undesirably to the point that it seems to be getting out of hand whereby to thus ensure better controlled tone response.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on a belt-supported guitar suspension strap which is such that it may be used minus the customary shoulder sling. When used in conjunction with the sling it functions to overcome uncomfortable weight from the neck and shoulders.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an electric Spanish guitar with a solid body showing a fragmentary portion of a sling or shoulder strap but emphasizing the improved supporting and suspension strap attached to a body belt and the guitar body, respectively, and providing a suspension saddle;

FIG. 2 is a view on a larger scale with portions broken away and appearing in section to illustrate the construction and mode of use of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the invention; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views in perspective of the components which go to make up the over-all adjustable or extensible strap.

In FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive the solid body of the electric Spanish guitar is denoted by the numeral 8. The expression guitar is used to comprehend similarly constructed and performing stringed musical instruments. The sling or neck and shoulder strap is denoted at 10 and is of any suitable construction. As before pointed out the present invention may be used with or without the sling 10. In any event, a body encircling or waist belt is needed and this is denoted at 1 2 and may be any suitable type of a belt.

The simple one-piece supporting and suspension strap is shown in FIG. 3 and is designated as a unit by the numeral 14. The strap may be of substantially any elastic leather and of a flat type to provide the desired saddle effect seen in FIG. 2 for example. One end portion 16 of the strap is doubled to define an open ended hem or loop 18. This end is riveted in place at 20. The belt adapter or connecting means is seen here and is denoted generally by the numeral 22 and it preferably comprises a bent wire clip. The end portion attached to the hem is J-shaped and includes a shank 24 hingedly mounted and a return bent portion or bill 26. The laterally disposed V-shaped adapter takes the form of a substantially V- shaped hook and it is, as is obvious, releasably and adjustably hooked over the waist belt 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The long end portion 30 of the strap is also doubled upon itself to provide another loop or hem 32 and the free end or tip is provided with male snap-fasteners 34 releasably and adjustably connected with female snapfasteners 36 on the strap proper. The means for attaching the forward end of this novel strap to the guitar may vary in construction. The form shown comprises a link 38 the forward portion of which is provided with an outstanding stud 40 on which end portions of the opposed V-shaped jaws 42 are connected. The pivot point is denoted at 44. The ear-like lugs on the jaws constitute finger-grips 46. The overall means is denoted at 48. In practice the jaws are releasably connected with an attaching screw eye 50 in the manner shown in FIG. 2 whereby the suspension strap extends transversely across the rim and provides a saddle to balance and support the guitar.

In the modification seen in FIG. 5 the belt adapter and attaching means and the attaching means for the strap to the guitar are generally designated by reference numerals 73 and 74, respectively, and are similar to the members 22 and 48, respectively. This embodiment comprises a strap which includes a first section 52 with a doubled end or loop 54 with the end portion 56 riveted at 58. The other looped end 60 is provided with a buckle 62 and a tongue 64. The tip 66 of the second or companion strap section 68 is slipped through the loop 70 and provided with holes 72 for the tongue 64. The adapter 73 includes a shank 75 which is journalled in the loop 54 and which terminates at one end in a return bent portion or bill 76. The adapter 73 further includes a lateral, V-shaped beltengaging hook 77 on the other end of the shank 75. The attaching means 74 comprises a link 78 journalled in the loop 61 and having projecting therefrom a stud 79 on which a pair of opposed jaws 86 are pivotally mounted at 82 for engagement in the screw eye 50. Finger grips 81 are provided on the jaws 80.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a guitar including a body, means for supporting the guitar in playing position in the hands of a user, said means comprising a screw eye mounted on the lower portion of the front of said body, and a flexible strap having one end connected to the screw eye and of a length to be looped under said body and connected to a body encircling belt on the user, said strap including a pair of sections each including an inner and an outer end portion, one of said sections having spaced openings in its inner end portion, a buckle on the inner end portion of the other section slidable on said one section and including a tongue selectively engageable in the openings for adjustably and detachably connecting the sections, loops on the outer end portions of the sections, a transversely elongated link journaled in one of said loops, a longitudinally projecting stud on an intermediate portion of said link, a pair of opposed, coacting jaws pivotally mounted on the stud and engageable in the screw eye from opposite sides thereof for detachably connecting the strap thereto, ear-like lugs on the jaws for opening and closing same, and a hook journaled in the other loop and slidably adjustably engageable with said belt for hanging the guitar thereon in front thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,133,615 Clark Mar. 30, 1915 2,671,373 Sanzone Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,816 Germany Aug. 4, 1903 

